The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Eviction Moratorium expired June 30, with a higher number of eviction cases expected to be heard in Tulsa County courts starting in July.  

Tulsa and its community partners are working to prevent evictions and increase knowledge of landlord/tenant rights and funding options through various programs, such as the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and the Gold Star Landlord program.   The city and its partners, including Tulsa County, Housing Solutions Tulsa, Restore Hope Ministries and Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma continue to work with judges and others to give residents  the options available for those facing eviction. 

Since the launch of ERAP in March, Tulsa and Restore Hope have distributed nearly $4 million in rental and utilities assistance to more than 1,000 households affected directly or indirectly by COVID-19 who have had difficulty paying rent and utilities.

“COVID-19 created a burden on so many of our neighbors,” said Jeff Jaynes, Executive Director of Restore Hope Ministries. “Tenants bore the weight of mounting debt and the fear of losing their home. Landlords were burdened by their own bills piling up and few places to turn. Our hope for ERAP is that we can release those burdens and help people look to the future again. With ERAP paying back debt and even some future rent, our hope is that Tulsans can once more dream of a better day to come.”

In addition to ERAP, the City’s Gold Star Landlord Program provides incentives and rewards for landlords and property managers who engage in the best rental practices. Currently, there are more than 12 Gold Star landlords in Tulsa.

“In the beginning of the pandemic our company had agreed that our company wouldn’t do any type of evictions,” said Scott Gordon, CEO of SLG Properties, “A lot of the tenants are families, and it’s important to allow and be able to meet their needs even in times of crisis because of the pandemic, it put them in a bad situation.”

Gordon, along with all other Gold Star landlords, are also part of the Early Settlement Mediation Program offered at no cost. The service offers tenants and landlords a way to voluntarily resolve disputes outside of a courtroom.

For information, visit www.erap.restorehope.org.